1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a sabot for a projectile and, more particularly, to a one-piece sabot.
2. Description of Prior Art
A sabot for positioning a projectile, such as a slug, within a shotgun or other gun barrel is well-known. It is also known to form the sabot so that the sabot rotates as the projectile travels the length of a rifled gun barrel. Such a feature is disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 5,479,801 to Kinchin. The sabot taught by the Kinchin patent imparts rotation to a projectile, which assists in guiding the projectile to a target when the projectile exits the gun barrel. Sabots are also used in smoothbore gun barrels for increasing the stability of the projectile during firing.
In general, sabots are formed in two-piece molded sections which are adapted to surround the exterior of a projectile. After the projectile exits the gun barrel, the sabot splits into two pieces and is discarded. The projectile usually further incorporates a pressure wad which is separate from or mechanically joined to the projectile.
The prior art described above has several disadvantages. First, manufacturing costs are increased because the sabot is formed in two separate pieces requiring two separate molds to make the sabot. Additionally, the two sabot pieces may require welding during the shotgun shell loading process to encase the projectile. This increases labor, production time and costs. Further, the pressure wad is formed as a separate element (requiring still another mold) which, in order to increase the bullet coefficient rating of the projectile, must be joined to the projectile, either before or during firing.
Consequently, it would be advantageous to incorporate the guidance function and higher bullet coefficient rating provided by the pressure wad with a sabot in one unit that is adapted to travel with the projectile to the target. This would enhance coefficient performance while eliminating the need for multiple molds to form the pressure wad and sabot, and would result in streamlining the shell loading process. Further, it would be advantageous to fashion a combined sabot and pressure wad adapted to receive a projectile (or other payload) directly within the sabot, which unit travels with the projectile or payload until impact with the target.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a one-piece sabot capable of receiving a projectile or payload and traveling with the projectile or payload to a target.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a sabot which may impart rotation (and thus aerodynamic guidance) to a projectile as the projectile travels toward a target, while also increasing the bullet coefficient rating.